Liquid-feeding device



June 10 1924. 1,497,004..

W. SP RKS LIQUID FEEDING DEVICE Filed June 20. 1921 s's-heeis-sheez-yl 4 Fic 1 June 10, 1924. 1,497,004

W. SPARKS LIQUID FEEI DING DEVICE Filed June 20, 19?.) 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

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June 10 1924.;

w. SPARKS LIQUID FEEDING DEVICE Fi l ed June v:20. 192.1 '3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 10, 192%.

MED stares I team ears-at cation,

WILLIAM SPARKS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STEWART-WARNER SPEEDOMETER CORPORATION, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA,

v.A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

Insure-FEEDING DEVICE.

Application filed June 20, 1921. Serial It'd/179,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SPARKS, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Jackson, in the county of Jackson, in 9 the State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Feeding Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyng drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in liquid feeding devices'for use particularly in supplying liquid fuel to internal combustion engines of automobiles and the like, in connection with which it is very often desirable to have the primary fuel tank carried on the vehicle at a level below the carburetor.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of relatively simple construction and high efiiciency in automatic operation, with particular relation to the construction'of the vacuum tank portions thereof, to which the liquid fuel is elevated, as by suction produced by the engine and intermittently discharged therefrom, to be sent by gravity .to a vaporizing device, for instance, to the float chamber of a commercial carburetor. I

A further object relates to the'particular form, arrangement and method of operation, of the valve devices of the structure, whereby positive automatic operation is attained.

A further object relates to .the positive actuation of the air inlet valve, the air exhaust valve, and the valve controlling communication between the upper and lower chambers of the tank structure, by

a single lever mechanism whereby a par-,

ticular timing operation is secured. Other. objects and advantages relate to the details of construction and operation of the device, as will more fully appear from the following description taken" in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 1s a vertical sectional view through the vacuum tank structure illustrating the valve devices in one position of operation taken on line 1-1 of Figure 3.

Figure 2is a similar sectional view of the same. structure illustrating the valve devices in their other operative position taken on line 22 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33,

' Figure 1.

The vacuum tank, as shown comprises a substantially cylindrical casing --I having its lower end closed by an end wall 2 and its upper end closed by cover 3, the-lower end -2 and the cover f? being secured to the cylindrical -cas'-.

ing -1 in any suitable manner, as that illustrated; Th chamber so formed. isv

trated by a fuel inlet pipe -6-, a suction or v exhaust connection 7-, and a somewhat elongated tubular nipple 8 provided with a laterally extending air-inlet port -9, such air inlet port, being controlled by a piston valve 10 actuated in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The cross wall --11- which forms the bottom of the chamber -4 and the top of chamber .5 is provided with an opening or passageway which permits communi-I cation between said chambers and this pask.

sagewa may be formedin a nipple -12- which as a guldeway -13- for the lower end of a valve stem -14 which-carries the valve -15 controlling such passage-' 7 way through the nipple 12 and at its upper end is loosely connected to the piston -10- to permit a certain limited relative movement. 7 I

The valve stem -14- at an intermediate point thereon is formed preferably with apair ofspaced flanges or projections +16 forming between them a groove or a space for the reception of the slotted end of a lever.--17, the opposite end of which lever is pivoted upon a pair of depending lu ,-18 formed in connection with a plate-like member f--19- which may be secured to the cover 3-:- of the tank struc- The lever -17 at an intermediate ture. point has a'n'opening through which the stem of the valve -20- passes.

H05 This valve controls the communication between the .upper chamber ---3 and the suction pipe tion so far given that the valve stem 14t or line -7-.-.-. This valve, as shown, has a loose sliding connection with the lever ==-17'- and may, as stated, have its stem' extend through said lever so that the valve is supported by the lever when-in open position.

It will be understood from the descripis in efiect carried by and adapted to he actuated by the lever -17-, and this actuation or movement by means of lever 17- is effected automatically through the rise and fall of a fioat -2lwhich may have a stem --22- mounted at its lower end in a guideway formed in connection with cross-plate -11 and its upper end pivotally connected to a lever 23 which lever has its opposite end pivoted upon the downwardly projecting lugs -'-24& formed in connection with the plate 19 in substantially the same manner. as lugs 18-, the lugs -2lbeing spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the distance between the lugs -18, so that the arms -25 and 26 and the lever -23- can move outside the lugs 18 and each of the arms 25- and -26 is provided with an enlar ed part --27 and 28' respectively, w icli may, as shown, he of cylindrical form and project inwardly from the respective arms so as to lie beneath the enlarged flange part -29-' on the stem of valve -20- and engage said enlarged part to elevate said valve to closed position when the lever is moved upwardly by rise of It will be. seen that the suction valve -20 opens by gravity when the lever --,17--has moved downwardly to permit such movement, or if the suction should be sufiicient to hold it closed against gravity, the final downward movement of lever 23 as actuated by the float, will move the valve from its -seat. When open, the suction valve remains in that position until as the float 2lgradually rises, the projecting parts 27 and -28 come into contact with the flan e part --29- and raduallyraise the sai suction valve -20- rom its position of rest upon. the lever -17- and at a pie-determined position of the float +21 said suction valve is moved to closed position. i

The valve 15-- and the valve -10--, are always either in substantially completely open or in substantially completely" closed position and are moved to and held in one lasagna l nection between the end bars -31 and 32 of the respective levers is above the pivot of the lever 17-- upon the lugs -'-18-, then the springs will cause an upward imovement of the slotted end of lever -l7- carrying with it the valve stem 1d and valves 1,5- and :10 to open thefair inlet 9 and the communication between the chambers 3-- and 4 through nipple -12, the nipple being provided with any suitable discharge opening, as the lateral discharge opening ,33. When the operation is reversed and the float --21 moves downwardly, the valve downwardly carrying the valve stem --1 t-- with it, positively moving the valve -15- and valve 10- to closed position, and the valve 20 to open position.

Immediately suction is applied to the chamber, the application of that suction to the valve 10- will substantially neutralize any tendency to move the valve 15- from its closed to open position, and for this purpose it is desirable that the exposed surface area of the valve 10-- should have a relation with respect to the surface area of valve -15- so that combined with the tensile power of springs 30 the suction applied to valve -10- will neutralize the tendency of the suction to move valve 15 from closed toopen position, during filling of the chamber --4l.

As shown, the lower chamber 5- is connected to the atmosphere by a vent pipe 3 l which penetrates the cap.3- of the tank'structure to maintain at all times atmospheric pressure in the lower chamber --4. The fuel discharges from the opening -'35 by gravity to the carburetor, and a second opening -,36 is provided which may he used as a drain and should be provided with .any suitable controlling device as-a valve, or other connection, in a'manner well known. The operation of this structure is positive, automatic and reliable in its elevation of and supply of liquid to the chamber 5 and the consuming means as a carburetor.

Although l have shown and described a specific construction as illustrative of a per haps preferred embodiment of my inven tion, ll'do not desire to limit myself to the details of construction, form or operation of: the vdevice, as various changes and modifications may be made in the same without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims lllti insane-a ".1 let valve and the atmosphere inlet valve for causing them to move simultaneously in opening; whereby the pressure resulting from the suction tending to hold the atmosphere inlet valve closed opposes the pressureresulting from the same suction tend ing to open the outlet valve; the areas of said valves exposed to said pressure being approximately. equal, and that of the atmosphere inlet valve being at least as great I as that of the liquid outlet valve; a selected one of said two last mentioned. valves being constructed for sliding movement along its seat at closed position; whereby in the closing movement said selected valve may reach closed position before the other, without preventing the other vfrom reaching closed position in the same movement; and a float'in the vacuum chamber operatively connected for opening said inlet and outlet valves by the rise of the float.

2. A fuel feeding device comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber, means of communication between said chambers, a valve controlling such means of communication, an air inlet tothe upper chamber, a valve controllin said air inlet, a valve stem common to botli of said valves, a pivoted lever for moving the valve stem to actuate said valves, a second pivoted lever, spring connections between said levers, float controlled means for moving said second lever, a suction line communicating with the upper chamber, a valve. controlling said suction line, said valve having a slidable relation with the said first named lever, and means in connection with the second named lever for sliding said.valve with respect to the first lever.

3. A fuel feedingdevice comprising a chamber having an outlet therefrom, a valve controlling said outlet, a suction connection with said chamber, a valve controlling said connection, an air inlet to said chamber, a piston valve controlling said air inlet, and means for moving the suction valve to substantially closed position before any opening movement of said other valves is effected.

i. A fuel feeding device comprising a chamber having an outlet leading therefrom, a valve controlling said outlet, an air inlet to said chamber, a valve controlling said air inlet, a lever for actuating said last mentioned valve, a second lever, a float connected to the second lever, and a spring connection between said levers whereby the first named lever is actuated to move said valve to either closed or open position at predetermined positions of the first named levers actuated by said float.

5. A fuel feeding device'comprising a chamber having an outlet leading therefrom, a valve controlling said outlet, an air inlet to said chamber, a valve controlling said air inlet, a lever for actuating said second mentioned valve, a second lever, a float connected to the second lever, and a spring connection between said levers whereby the first named lever. is actuated to move said valve to either closed or open position at redetermined positions of the first named evers actuated by said float, a suction connection with said chamber, and a valve supported by said first named lever and controlling the suction connection.

6. A fuel feeding device comprising a chamber having an outlet leading therefrom, a valve controlling said outlet, an air inlet to said chamber, a valve controlling said air inlet, a lever for actuating said valve, a second lever, a float connected to ,the second lever, a spring connection between said levers whereby the first namedv lever is actuated to move said valve to either closed or open position at redetermined positions of the first named ever actuated by said float, a suction connection with said chamber, a valve supported by said first named lever and controlling the suction connection, and means in connection with vthe second named lever for moving said suction valve to substantially closed position independently of the movement of the first named lever.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of May, 1921.

' WILLIAM SPARKS. Witness:

LILLIAN E. WJNDERLICH, 

